


Love and Hate

by Leo_Kami_Sama



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Comedy, Death, Drama, Fluff, Horses, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I Tried, I don't know, Intensity, Love/Hate, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Male Protagonist, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, POV Alternating, POV First Person, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Short Chapters, This should do for now, War, Yaoi, devastation, long chapters, maybe some smut?, prince - Freeform, what else should i tag?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-16
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-08 17:26:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6866167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leo_Kami_Sama/pseuds/Leo_Kami_Sama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Prince has lived a spoiled and pampered life and is used to being handed whatever he wants. But when his kingdom is invaded and it's up to him and his personal guard to find a way to take backnow his home, can they do it? Or will they too be killed?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love and Hate

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so excited for this story! It started off as a school project and blossomed from there. Haha. I'd love any feedback, positive or constructive. I hope you all love it!
> 
> Also, I alternate between point of views in each chapter. It's all first person, but I switch between the two protagonists. That being said, some chapters are very long and others are only a couple pages.
> 
> Thanks!

“Sir. Sir, wake up.”

My eyes rolled open groggily. The scowl that pulled over my face must have made the man responsible for disturbing my rest falter, because there was a pause before he spoke again.

“My apologies, young lord. Your father has asked me to wake you.”

“For what?” I gestured for him to step back and he did. I sat up in my large bed and pushed the silken sheets off to the side. The man, Anderson, moved to the large window on the far side of my bedroom and pushed the thick, woolen drapes aside. I scowled even deeper. The sun was barely in the sky.

“King Faylare has requested that you rise early and attend a morning worship class. Would you like to hear your schedule for the day?” Anderson turned his back to the window and faced me, hands clasped behind his back.

I groaned and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I glanced in his direction and he began to recite my schedule. Worship, archery, dancing, writing, horseback riding. My day would be filled entirely. I should be used to it by now. I'm seventeen and I started taking classes when I was four, but I'm not. I don't like being up early.

I was dressed in elegant, loose robes and taken to the church. I rode in a carriage drawn by four white horses, but we never left the castle grounds. We didn't need to. Unlike the commoners, I didn't go to a public church. I went to a church for royalty and the extremely wealthy. Anderson was only allowed on the holy ground because he is my personal butler. Father insisted that I have one for my twelfth birthday so Anderson has been serving me for five years now. He was given more privileges than most Royal servants simply because I wanted to keep him near me.

-

“That was exhausting.” I breathed quietly as I walked away from the large church, Anderson beside me. Of course, he heard my complaint. If I didn't know him better I'd say it amused him.

“You did an excellent job with your song today, Sire. I believe everyone was quite moved.”

I tched. He gave me a bit of a warning look and I stopped scowling. As the Prince of Dorset, I had to maintain appearances. “You know I don't like singing, Anderson.” I sighed again. I looked up at the sky and was pleased to find that the sun was finally rising. Long streaks of gold and orange painted the skies. I suddenly wished I had painting scheduled for this morning. Maybe I could have that added tomorrow.

I realized Anderson had said something to me in my daze and quirked an eyebrow at him. A faint smile touched his lips and he repeated himself. “Even if you don't like it, you're still very good at it, My Lord.”

“Singing?”

“Indeed.”

I tched again.

-

I was put into a tunic and brought to the archery range. It was mostly just tedious to practice now that I had mastered it, but I was going to move on to archery from horseback sometime soon and I don't think I'm prepared for it. Horses are too unpredictable for my taste and I don't very much like the thought of running around on a wild animal with a quiver full of razor-sharp arrows.

My arms were hurting now. I was in shape - quite in shape - but after two hours, I was tired. An obnoxiously loud horn blared, signaling the end of my torture. I waited until my opponent lowered his weapon before I handed mine off to Anderson, who slipped it into its case. “Well done, Young Master.”

“Thanks.” I breathed, rolling my shoulders. “I want to h-”

“Sire!” A messenger boy came sprinting up to and dropped to me his knees, lowering himself into a bow. “Sire, i-it is your father.”

“Rise. What is it?” I watched the boy clamper to his feet. He was panting like a beast.

“King Faylare has demanded that you come to the throne room immediately.” He explained all in one breath. My distaste must have shown because he quickly continued. “It is important, My Lord.”

I waved my hand and the boy ran in the direction he had come from. Anderson returned from putting my bow away and gave me a questioning look. I sighed. “Come.”

-

We walked to the center of the royal grounds and found the palace. It was a huge, glamorous building with thick walls and guards positioned at regular points. They bowed as I walked through and I kept my chin held high. Anderson trailed behind me.

We entered the palace and walked down several long hallways before coming upon the throne room. “King Faylare, your son has arrived!” a servant shouted as the heavy wooden doors were pushed open in front of me.

“Come in, Alexander. There's someone I would like you to meet.” My father’s loud voice filled the room and boomed on the stone walls. I walked alone the red rug that led directly to the throne which my father stood beside. A man stood to his right, both watching my approach.

“Good morning, Father.” I bowed at my hips with one hand held against the small of my back and the other clasped over my heart.

“Rise, dear son.” I straightened and my father smiled as I allowed my gaze to flicker to the strange man. He couldn't have been much older than me. His hair was a darker brown than mine, but his eyes were a captivatingly bright blue. And, of course, he was taller than me. But I was tanner than he.

“Alexander, this is Lyren, of the Pentagast.” The dark-haired male bowed to me briefly.

“Pentagast?” I questioned, my gaze flickering between my father and the man.

My father nodded. “Yes. He has come to take upon the position of your personal guard.”

“A guard?” I frowned and glanced back at Lyren. He didn’t look all that tough.

If my protest upset my father, he didn’t let it show. “Indeed. We need to start looking for a woman with whom you shall marry. That means traveling and traveling means danger.”

“I see.” I turned to Lyren again, eyeing him a bit more openly this time. He faced me boldly, shoulders back and chin lifted. His height pissed me off. “You believe you can protect I, the prince of Dorset?”

A smile touched Lyren’s lips. As calm as he appeared, I could see fire dancing in his eyes. “I believe I can, My Liege.” His deep voice rolled with a thick accent that told me he was indeed from Pentagast.

My father turned to me again. “Do you approve, my son?”

“Indeed.” I dipped my head in a nod. Lyren’s smile widened, but only a little.

“Excellent. Now, show young Lryen to your bed chambers. A cot will be brought in for Lyren and y-”

“Wait, Father, he’s-”

My father held up his hand and I stopped. A hint of disapproval shone in his eyes before he smiled at me. “Now, son, I understand your distaste. But the two of you need to be together when at all possible. He will stay by your side from henths forth.”

I exhaled as I nodded. It would be pointless to argue with my father, especially in front of a guest. “Yes, My Lord.” I bowed my head.

“Now do as I have said before I must repeat myself.” My father touched Lyren’s shoulder and bid him a good day. Then he turned to leave the throne room. I waited impatiently until my father was out of the room, watching in the direction he had gone. I could feel Lyren’s gaze on me and it made me sweat. What right did he have to gaze upon me?

“Shall we be off?” Lyren spoke after realizing that I did not intend to break the silence. The amusement in his voice irritated me.

With a sigh, I turned on my heels and receded from the throne room. Lyren trailed behind me with Anderson behind him.

-

I could hear Anderson telling Lyren about the palace ground. History, the whereabouts of important buildings and so on. It did not interest me and I did not partake in the conversation. But I could feel Lyren’s heavy gaze on my back and it kept my stride stiffer than I would like to admit.

“Here we are.” I pushed the door to my bedchambers open and walked inside. A cot was set up at the foot of my bed and I tried to pretend that its presence didn’t irritate me. “I am going to bathe myself. Anderson, show Lyren to the arena and have a servant boy ready horses for us.”

“Of course, Young Lord.” Anderson bowed to me. I glanced at Lyren, who looked like he could just drop dead from boredom, and his gaze met mine. I held it for a moment before I looked away and strode into my washroom. I felt disgusting.

-

After I was cleaned, I took the clothes that had been laid out on my bed for me and got dressed. Another tunic, but this one was meant for riding. It was too tight for my liking but it had to be. I caught a glimpse of my reflection and just had to appreciate how the too-tight clothes hugged my toned body. Lyren floated back into my mind and I scowled, yet again.

-

I walked to the stables and found my horse groomed and saddled. I took the short, white-and-brown paint horse from the servant boy who bowed to me and led the animal outside. His shoed hooves were loud on the stone floors. Despite my overall distaste for horses, this paint was a good horse. He had never thrown me off nor acted upon like intentions. He was also short enough for me to get on him without assistance, which I appreciated.

I mounted my steed and rode him to the arena. Anderson stood near the gates and greeted me with a polite tilt of his head. I returned the gesture and trotted past him. There were several other riders in the arena, but of course, the first to spot me was Lyren. He was mounted on a tall, buckskin mare that I had never attempted to ride. I’d need a ladder to mount that beast and the idea of Lyren being able to get onto its back without so much as a stump soured my mood.

“Your Majesty.” Lryen greeted, turning his horse to walk beside mine.

“Lyren.” I greeted, keeping my eyes forward. I hated that I would have to look up at him on that monster of a horse. No animal should be that tall.

“So is this what you do all day? Prance around in an arena?” His boldness startled me but I tried not to show it. I waved my hand.

“It is only a small part of my day. Though I can only assume that my schedule is going to be changing quite drastically.”

“Hm.” He nodded, not seeming very interested. “Are you excited to travel across the kingdom in search of a bride?”

The look I gave him must have gave away my answer because Lyren laughed. “I can’t say I find the prospect too exciting either.”

“Then why have you chosen to accompany me?” I asked simply, glancing at the male. His gaze flickered to mine, amusement dancing in his eyes. I could only assume that _my_ bluntness was what he found so amusing.

“A hefty sack of coins persuaded me.” Lyren smirked and it couldn't have been more playful even if he tried. I clicked my tongue and continued riding, but he kept up with me easily. I disliked the thought of knowing how much faster his tall horse would be compared to mine.

“So,” Lyren went on, looking around. Something told me he got bored rather easily. “What do you have scheduled after riding?”

I signed. “I-” A loud explosion cut off the rest of my sentence. The horses lurched and I fought to keep mine from bolting. Lyren was in a similar battle with his horse.

“Attack! We're under attack!” People started screaming all around me. My heart seemed determined to beat itself out of my chest as another explosion shook the ground under my horse. Anderson was running towards me, but Lryen swung his reins and smacked my horse on his rear. With a lurch, we were sprinting from the field. I scrambled to stay on my horse, but he only ran harder as I squeezed my legs around him.

Soldiers were marching over the ground. There must have been thousands of them, and they weren't the royal guard. Lyren kicked his horse harder and I followed close behind him. They fired arrows and I realized with a start that they were firing at me. Not us, me.

I ducked my head as arrows rained down around me. I shouted but my voice was drowned out when my horse screamed. The next thing I knew, I was flying through the air and my horse was rolling over top of himself.

-

My head was throbbing. I winced as I tried to move, lifting my hand to touch the bandage wrapped around my forehead. “What…”

I heard a groggy sigh beside me and turned my head. “You're awake. Good.” Lryen sat up and shifted to lean over me, his eyes running down my body. I tried to ignore the heat in my cheeks as I glared at him.

“Where am I?” I tried to push on his chest so I could sit up but his hand on my shoulder stopped me.

“Don't move. You hit your head pretty bad.” He waited until I sighed with resignation before he kept talking. “We're on a wagon. The palace was attacked.”

Everything came back to me in a painful flash. My vision swam as my head throbbed and I groaned softly. I was also now aware of the fact that we were moving and indeed laying in the back of a wagon that must have had some kind of thin sheet tied over the top. It was dark, but not so dark that I couldn't see Lyren. “Where are we going?”

Lyren sighed, touching my chin. He waited until my eyes turned to meet his. “We're going somewhere safe until we can take back the palace.”

“The palace was taken!?” I pushed Lyren back, hard, and sat up. I ignored how the stars that exploded in my vision as I shouted at him. “That's impossible! How dare you lie to me!” My anger boiled into frustration and I felt my hands shaking.

I could feel Lyren’s hands on my shoulders, keeping me steady. He paused, looking constricted, before his arms pulled me closer to him. “Don't cry.” He spoke against my ear. I flinched and touched my face, which was indeed wet. I hadn't even noticed the tears that streamed down my face.

“You're lying.” The words left me like a sob, quieter now. His arms tightened around me.

“I barely managed to get you out. When the kinsmen showed up, they were able to hold them off long enough for us to escape. But the palace was taken… I don't know who survived.” His words were gentle. I let him lay me back down and wipe my face. I was too numb to do it myself.

“How can this be…”

“Just rest, for now. We have another couple hours before we stop.” His accent was even thicker with emotion. Lyren moved to lay back down beside me, but he winced sharply as he did. I shot back up.

“You're hurt!” Looking down at him now, I noticed the blood-soaked bandage wrapped around his side. “What happened?” I tried to help him, but he brushed my hands away.

“I'm fine. It was a dagger. I can wait until we stop.” Lyren’s expression told me that he wasn’t going to argue. I nodded softly and laid down once again. He laid beside me with a soft sigh. Several moments passed before I felt his hand wrap around my own. It was warm.

-

When I woke up again, I was being carried. I opened my eyes and looked up at Lyren, who didn't seem to be struggling with my weight at all. I resisted the urge to glare at him “Lyren…?”

His eyes flashed down to mine before he continued to look ahead. “We're almost there.”

“Almost where?” I lifted my head off of his chest and looked to the right. A cabin. A cabin!?! This is his idea of a _safe place!_

“It's-”

“What the hell is that? Lyren, I'm a prince, I'll not rot in a cabin out in the middle of God knows-”

“You were a prince.” Lyren growled. The words cut me like a knife. “I'm afraid you'll have to suck it up and live with the beasts for a while.”

Lyren carried me inside and laid me on a bed. He left the small room without so much as a word and I sat back up. The room was dirty. Dust covered absolutely everything and I could see a mouse hole in the corner of the wall. It made my skin crawl. I swung my feet to the floor and stood up. The room spun around me and I stumbled, using the wall to support myself. I waited for the room to stop spinning. When it didn't, I pushed off of the wall and left the room unsteadily. The rest of the house was in a similar state as the room. The kitchen was larger than the room but still small.

“What are you doing?” I jumped when Lyren spoke to me. He was standing in the door with an armful of clothes. “You shouldn't be on your feet.”

I glared at him and tipped my chin up out of habit, ignoring his comment as I glanced around again. “Tell me what happened after I was thrown from my horse.” I stated, trying to mentally prepare myself for what I would learn. I didn't want to admit how much the death of my beast pained me.

Lyren sighed and took my arm after dropping the clothes on a small table - if you could even call it that. I glared and was about to yank away from him when the increase in my heart rate made my head throb. My knees swayed and Lyren put me in a chair. His eyes focused on mine and he waited until I was steady before he released me. I felt like I was going to puke. “I turned around when I heard the arrows flying. After I got you on my horse, we ran. Like I said before, the kinsmen held off the intruders… They catapulted boulders into the palace. It fell.”

The room was spinning again. I only vaguely heard Lyren swear before he caught me in his arms. I sobbed so hard that my entire body shook. I gripped Lyren’s shirt as he moved closer to me. “How can this be..” I shook my head softly, but stopped because it made everything spin. My arms tightened around Lyren and I heard him wince softly, remembering abruptly that he was also injured. I lifted my arms up his sides so that I wasn't touching his wound.

“I don't know.” He sighed and his hot breath tickled my shoulder.

“Did anyone else get out?”

“I think so. But I don't know who. After we were off royal grounds, I snuck us into a wagon that was heading this direction.”

“I see…” I tried weakly to push him away, but he seemed determined to hold on. “How will they know how to find us?”

“They won't. That's the point.” Lyren hooked his arm under my legs and stood up, pivoting around on one leg and heading back towards the bedroom. “We'll hide here. If the palace is taken back, we'll return.”

“When it is taken back.” I retorted, averting my gaze as he laid me down.

“Right.” Lyren sighed gently and touched my forehead with the back of his hand. I winced under his touch. I really must have split my head open when I hit the ground. “You're running a fever. I'm going to see if there's anything to cook in the pantry. If not, I'll head to town and I'll be back soon. Stay in bed.” He pointed at me and I rolled my eyes.

“Fine.” I sighed, rubbing my face. He stared at me for a moment before he turned and swiftly left the room.

-

I didn't keep my word. After Lyren left, I searched for a bathroom. I found a mirror and examined the many scrapes and cuts on my face. The majority of the left side of my face was bruised and raw. I practically glowered at my reflection. If looking like I was mauled wasn't bad enough, my eyes were puffy and red from crying. It made the greenish-blue color of my eyes stand out but I didn't like it.

I explored. The house was more of a shack for dogs than it was a house, but the land it sat on was beautiful. All of Dorset is beautiful. The cabin was sitting in the middle of a forest with a creek running behind it. But I felt crushed. The beauty of the land felt fake and meaningless. My home was destroyed and invaded, my family was most likely dead, and I have been forced to live in a shack with the rodents.

-

I ended up returning to the room. I laid down and tried to sleep while I waited for Lyren to return. I thought about Anderson, my loyal servant of over five years, whom was most likely dead and rotting in a pit. I missed him a lot more than I ever thought I would.

I must have fallen asleep at one point or another. I dreamt of nothing but my fever worsened. I was panting when I felt a hand shaking my shoulder. “Alexander, wake up.” I heard him, but my eyes felt heavy. I tried to speak but it only came out as a groan. I felt a cool rag press against my forehead and run down my cheek. The rag trailed to my neck and I swallowed. The hand shook my shoulder again. “Alexander, you need to eat.”

Finally, my eyes rolled open. I sighed. I opened my mouth to answer him but shivered when the cool rag ran down my chest. I realized with a start that he had removed my shirt while I was asleep.

“Good. You're awake.” Lyren sighed. He looked tired and he had a cut on his cheek that he did not have when he left.

“What are you doing?” I tried to sit up but his hand caught my shoulder and kept me firmly on the bed. I glared at him, but doing so hurt as it pulled at the cuts on my forehead.

“I'm trying to keep your from overheating. Stop whining.” Lyren spoke shortly and I felt him slide the rag down my side. I suppressed another shiver, but my anger was rising.

“How dare you speak to me like that.” My voice wasn't nearly as hard as I would have liked. I realized that there were tears in my eyes, as frustrated as I was, and I glared at the ceiling instead. I could only remember his comment about my no longer being a prince.

Lyren paused for a moment. I wondered if my tears affected him, even as I tried to keep them from falling. But he was silent as he stood and folded the rag, placing it on my forehead. He turned and left the room, then returned a moment later with two bowls of soup.

I sat up, swallowing around the lump in my throat. Lyren sat down beside me and took the rag from my hand, dropping it into a bucket of water beside my bed. He handed me a shirt and waited for me to put it on before also giving me a bowl of soup. He sat down and silently began to eat. After a moment, I followed suit.

-

“What happened to your face?” I asked, now half done with my soup and once again in control of my emotions.

He grunted, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. I realized that he felt bad for upsetting me. “I fought a man who tried to mug me.”

“I see.” I breathed. “And?”

“I broke his nose.” Lyren shrugged. I couldn't help myself and I laughed.

“You broke his nose for scratching your face?”

Lryen snorted. “No. I broke his nose because he tried to mug me.”

I laughed again. We lapsed into a moment of silence as I took another spoonful of soup into my mouth. After I swallowed, I glanced at Lyren again and caught him looking at me. “How is your side?”

Lyren seemed a bit surprised at my question, but I couldn't place why. “It's fine, I think. It was really just a surface wound.” He shrugged, but I know that it had been worse than that.

“Good.” I dipped my head in a faint nod.

-

_I was running. People were chasing me. Lyren was ahead of me. I called to him, but he kept going. I needed his help. But he didn't look back at me. I didn't think he could hear me. I screamed as loud as I could. I felt hands grabbing my arms and I thrashed. I was thrown onto the ground and cried out when a sword was thrust into my back. I watched Lyren run as my vision faded, and I died._

-

“Alex!”

“Ah!” I screamed as my eyes opened. It was dark. Lyren was holding me down and considering how out of breath we both were, I knew that I had been fighting against him. “L-Let me go!” I thrashed until I got my hand free, then I shoved his shoulder hard enough to knock him off of me. I was on my feet and out the door before he could recover. Outside of the small cabin, I doubled over and emptied the contents of my stomach onto the ground. My body convulsed so hard I thought I was going to start vomiting blood. My back clenched and cramped where I had been stabbed in my dream.

I was still dry-heaving when I noticed Lyren’s hands on my shoulders, keeping me from falling. I tried to shrug him off but he kept a hold of me. The moon was bright in the sky, but it was still extremely dark out.

“What the hell happened?” Lyren asked as I finally got a feeble hold of myself. I shook my head and sagged against his chest. He didn't hesitate before he scooped me off of my feet and turned back towards the cabin.

Lyren sat on the bed with me beside him. When I didn't let go of him, he embraced me. “It was a dream…” My voice shook as I spoke. Lyren moved his hand up and down my back gently, encouraging me to continue. “I was being chased… They killed me.” I shuddered against him and felt my throat contract. But there was nothing left in me to come up.

“I see.” Lyren sighed. He must have felt me shaking because before long, he was rubbing my back again. He laid down and pulled me with him when I started crying, letting me rest against his side. “Try to get some sleep, if you can.”

“Okay.” I breathed, rubbing my face. Sure enough, after I had calmed down, I was asleep once again.

-

It was hot. It was way, way too hot. I grunted as I rolled onto my side. I opened my eyes slowly and coughed violently into my hand. Smoke. I jumped up to my feet and ran to the door, shoving it open. The cabin was on fire. I stumbled back and turned. “Lyren!” I shouted and ran back to my bed. I grabbed his shoulders and shook him. The roar of the flames drowned out my voice as I tried to shake Lyren again. But he only groaned weakly and shifted, ignoring my panic. “Lyren! Wake up, you fool!”

I grabbed Lyren’s arm and yanked him from the bed. He slid off of the bed and landed half on top of me. “Ah, Lyren!” I groaned and pushed him off of me. “What the hell is wrong with you!?”

Again, he was unresponsive. I coughed and my lungs burned. My eyes were watering and the smoke made my head spin.

I couldn't figure out why he wouldn't wake up. I grunted and shouted for help as I tried to drag him out of the room, but he was larger than me and I could hardly see. I tripped over myself several times. But all the while, Lyren was still.

I finally got to the front door. Flames were quickly consuming all of the house and I found it harder and harder to breathe. I fell with Lyren against my side when the door burst open. I hit the ground with a grunt and coughed again, gasping on the clean air. “Help! Someone help!” I yelled, struggling to pull Lyren out of the house with me. There were people outside, but it didn't make sense. Our cabin was in the middle of nowhere and it hadn't been burning long enough to attract that much attention.

Men ran towards me. The grabbed Lyren and pulled him away from me, letting him fall to the ground in front of the burning house. “What are you doing? Let go of me!” I struggled as hands clamped around my arms and dragged me from the house. I fought and fought, but my lungs felt like they were on fire and I coughed more than I could yell.

Something wooden smacked into the back of my head. Stars exploded across my vision seconds before everything went black. I barely registered ropes being tied around my arms before I was a thrown into the back of a carriage.


End file.
